Ex-Rangers chairman says Steven Gerrard made controversial point on Anfield atmosphere

Liverpool fable Steven Gerrard was tipped arsenic a aboriginal Reds manager aft impressing astatine Rangers - and it's present been claimed Gerrard thought Ibrox outdone Anfield connected European nights

Former Rangers president Dave King claims Steven Gerrard felt thing compared to the ambiance astatine Ibrox connected a European nighttime - not adjacent his beloved Anfield.

Gerrard, 44, spent the bulk of his illustrious playing vocation astatine Liverpool and was adjacent touted arsenic a aboriginal Reds manager aft stepping distant from the nine backmost successful 2015 aft making implicit 700 appearances.

The erstwhile midfielder started his managerial vocation successful Scotland, though, with Rangers aft seeing retired his playing vocation successful America. He won the Scottish Premiership successful the 2020/21 campaign earlier an ill-fated stint astatine Aston Villa: a determination which was initially seen as a cleanable stepping stone towards succeeding Jurgen Klopp connected Merseyside.

His determination to permission for a accidental successful the Premier League near fans furious - but King present claims that Gerrard ne'er wanted to permission Rangers backmost successful 2021.

“Let’s beryllium perfectly clear, Steven was not acceptable to spell erstwhile helium went. Steven wanted to support the rubric and I’d extended his declaration astatine his request,” King told The Sun.

“He inactive says Anfield can’t comparison to Ibrox connected a European night. We had our knowing that we’d respect each different and helium came to maine and said, ‘Look, I’d similar to extend’.

“He was blessed astatine the club. His ambition was to support the title. In the process of defending the rubric and having a bully European run, helium could past determination connected to the equilibrium of his vocation having utilized Rangers arsenic a ground to summation immoderate precise invaluable first-hand experience.

“Steven was perfectly kicked out. I person nary doubts astir that.”

Join the debate! What person you made of Gerrard's managerial vocation truthful far? Let america cognize here.

King, who brought Gerrard to Ibrox backmost successful 2018, went connected to bemoan the information that the Scottish giants person "regressed" since losing their erstwhile manager.

Philippe Clement is the existent Gers boss: helium was appointed past October aft Michael Beale, Gerrard's erstwhile assistant, was sacked. Gerrard's archetypal replacement, Giovanni van Bronckhorst, besides failed to person successful the hotseat.

King added: “It’s perfectly existent that we went backwards due to the fact that it wasn’t conscionable Steven who left. It was enactment unit and it was the precise structures that helium had enactment successful place.

“It was the ethos, the standards, everything astir the club. Then we started to spell down from there. He got the spine, helium got the club, helium got each of that.”

Join our caller WhatsApp community and person your regular dose of Mirror Football content. We besides dainty our assemblage members to peculiar offers, promotions, and adverts from america and our partners. If you don't similar our community, you tin cheque retired immoderate clip you like. If you're curious, you tin work our Privacy Notice.